Man fights off possibly-armed robbers, officials say

Police: Man grabs gun believed to be fake, chases robbers

A 27-year-old man fought off possibly-armed attackers early Sunday morning on Madison’s near east side, officials said.

The man was walking in the 900 block of Spaight Street when he was approached by two men who asked if he had a cellphone, according to a release.

When the man told the two robbers he did not have a cellphone, they pulled out a handgun, put it to the man’s head and started rifling through his pockets, officials said.

The man felt the gun was fake so he grabbed it and chased the two robbers, who ran to a waiting car and fled the area, police said. The man was not injured.

Police said the suspect vehicle was spotted Sunday night in an east side neighborhood. Officers said they contacted the vehicle's owner, Jeremiah Harris, 18, who confessed to driving the vehicle during the robbery. He was arrested on suspicion of party to the crime of armed robbery.

The robber is described as African-American, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall , weighing about 200 pounds and wearing dark clothing.